New MMRG Director from New Durham

Lorraine (Lorrie) Drake is the newest member of MMRG’s Board of Directors, bringing the total number to eleven. She was elected to the Board at the 2011 Annual Meeting on February 7 along with five other directors beginning new terms; the remaining five Directors have continuing terms. Lorrie will represent the community of New Durham, having lived in that town with her husband and daughters for almost 25 years.

Lorrie earned a B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies at Binghamton University, and a Masters in Secondary Education at UNH. She has taught biology at Coe-Brown Northwood Academy for the last 15 years. Lorrie and her family treasure the wild areas that are accessible near their home for skiing, mountain biking, paddling and hiking. It was her interest in helping to preserve these places led Lorrie to join the MMRG several years ago. Since then she has volunteered frequently at the annual Woods, Water and Wildlife Festival and has helped out with MMRG office work.

The MMRG Board is delighted to have Lorrie “on board”! A Director to represent the community of Middleton is still sought and At-Large Directors are also welcome. If you are interested in serving on the Board, please contact the Chair, Art Slocum, at (603) 569-6438 or afslocumjr@metrocast.net.

New MMRG Executive Director

In October, Moose Mountains Regional Greenways hired Virginia Long as its new Executive Director. This followed some months of a search for the best candidate while Virginia served as Interim Executive Director. Since her initial hire, Virginia has provided an immediate boost to MMRG’s day-to-day functioning. She organized much of the Woods, Water and Wildlife Festival (MMRG’s major fundraiser), produced two newsletters and the annual membership appeal, and has increased MMRG’s visibility in local media.

Virginia comes to MMRG from a background in academia. She has a PhD in Physics and was an Assistant Professor of Physics at Colby College in Waterville, ME from 2001 through 2009. Regarding her new job, Virginia says, “I believe in MMRG’s mission and I am excited to work with its very dedicated Board of Directors to build up the organization.” She now lives in Milton with Steve Panish, who was MMRG Chair from 2006 through September 2010. To eliminate any conflict of interest in the hiring decision, Steve resigned as Chair and from the hiring committee, but remains on the Board and is very active in land protection projects.

At the 2011 Annual Meeting on February 7, the MMRG Board of Directors elected its Executive Officers. Two started serving in fall 2010 when Officer positions opened up and the other two are continuing from previous terms. Art Slocum, of Wolfeboro, is the new MMRG Chair, Cynthia Wyatt of Milton continues as Vice-Chair, Jon Batson of Rochester continues as Treasurer, and Dawn Evans, of Center Tuftonboro, is the new Secretary.

Art is active in the Lakes Region Conservation Trust and the Land Bank of Wolfeboro and Tuftonboro. He joined the MMRG Board of Directors in 2009 after MMRG expanded its service region to include Wolfeboro as its seventh community. Art is a retired Manufacturer’s Representative and Sales Manager for La-Z-Boy, Inc. and brings much needed sales expertise to the Board. He is leading a new capital fundraising campaign designed to boost MMRG finances by increasing the number of business sponsorships for the Woods, Water and Wildlife Festival, which provide a substantial portion of MMRG’s annual operating capital.

Queried about his new role at MMRG, Art replied, “It is very exciting to be asked to lead MMRG’s volunteer Board of Directors, Staff, and membership. MMRG has served its member towns by assisting in conserving over 3800 acres and holding many environmental education events and festivals each year. Virginia Long has done a great job as our Interim Executive Director and I am confident that she will be a great leader of our organization.”

Dawn has valuable experience in land conservation and in managing MMRG. She was MMRG’s Executive Director in 2008–2009 and, since stepping down from that position, has served as a Director at-large on the MMRG Board. She is also a Director of the Land Bank of Wolfeboro and Tuftonboro. Dawn works at Spider Web Gardens and recently contributed her talents and experience in that domain as well, instructing participants at MMRG’s “Greens for the Holiday Season” workshop.